Shoulder pad



w 2, 1928., mw m M. ii, MULLINS SHOULDER PAD Filed Nov.l, 1.926 2 Sheets-Sheet l mil R. T. MULLINS SHOULDER PAD Filed Nov. 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented went. 2, ltlfitt,

atshirt-tones MULLINS, or Biaoo rrrsrn, new irons, assrenonro n. e. sr arnrnea nuns, or new roan, n. n, a ceareaarroaea new annsnir.

Application maintain r 1, teas. serial no. iiaata th whi t f th pr in entio an improved body-protector particularly designed for a football player.

lll' e new protector will be designated a shoulder guard; although in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings the shoulder guard will also include auxiliary shield or hei r slens it's, su h s b ast ba k an ette sections, for various parts of the intheshoulderregion as well as bones or oints at or the junction of upper an n and shoulder.

One of the prinoipalobjects ot the invention is to proyide a shoulder guard which when Worn will, in a higher degree than heretofore, combine maximum protection and niini nuni weight and discomfort.

' l th ishi st is o nrprid e s eu r guard as just describedrwherein the diti'erent relatively nioirable sections or portions tl reef are so constituted and relatedas to cause a natural fitting or shaping oi? the guard toj body of a wearer and at the sau e'xtiine always to insure that the guard will be "donned to establish and thereafter maintain adequate protection for the entire anatomical region covered and particularly is a tis h bedyih e o dequ ely shielded from strain or damage.

fi nother object is to provide a ribbed prote tire structure which the ribs-include re ativclyinarrow strips of cushioning ma terial, snohasisponge rubber, for the sake oi. ,ecbnorny the utilization of such rel-a tiyely s nall pieces of theinaterial while at t1 e sam t m h 'g lfil g a fl bl i 9 fi nlatedfshell having improved protective qualities.

. 'ill liecharacteristics and aduantagesot the invention are .further sufficiently explained ii nen es ie ii ith the a owi g/d t d sc ption at th ec r nr ns d a in w ch shows one representatiye embodiment. After considering this example, skilled persons will understand i that many yariations niay be made without departing from the principles,disclosed,and I contemplate the employment ofanystructures that arepropsr y Within thssc r a th app nd claimsl igure ;1 Sl IIQWSn preferred form of the invention in perspective, approximately as thelizarionsparts" would be arranged on the body of the player, and as the device would be seen when viewed from a point somewhat above the shoulder looking toward the neck of the wearer;

Figure 2 is a section, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

lligure 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, but with said line rectified.

The form of the invention thus shown in the drawings includes a central shoulder saddle or main portion 5 .liaying pendent breast and backflaps or sections 6 and 7. Sections 6 and T are hingedly suspended, as by the lines of stitching indicated at S and 9 in Figure 1; such lines of stitching joining sheets 10, 11 and 12 of leather of a kind and thickness to make the sheets fairly stiiij' yet rather freely flexible.

The sheets 11 and 12 of the sections .6 and 7 are corrugated longitudinally, that is, substantially parallel with the stitching lines 8 and 9. The corrugations may be different in number on the two sections; presenting tour relatively narrow troughs on the breast section 6 and five (it such troughs on the back section 7. The leather sheets of said sections are also formed as to present at the upper end of each section a narrow margin of about the width of a trough bottom, and said sheets are also so ZEOllliGClElS to present at thelower end; of each section a similar margin; as lllOSt clearly shown in Figure 1.. The upper neargins ofthe sections receive the stitchings 8a and 9. Certain of these stitchings 8 and 9 pass also through narrow margins arranged along the converging forward and rear edges oft-he sheet 10 of main section 5, as well as through a sheet or pad 14: of felt underlying the threeleather sheets and 00111 111011 to all the sections. The margins at the lower ends of the leather sheets 11 and 12 of the breast andlback sections are similarly stitched to the felt pad, as indicated at 15 in Figure 3.

The Various trough bottoms of the breast and back sections 6 and 7 are also stitched to the felt pad 14, to provideior each of said breast and back sections a plurality of ribs each hinged or articulated relative to an adjoining rib. These ribs result not only from the corrugated formations of the leather sheets l'l'and 12 and the lines or s10 inally distended as such.

stitching in the troughs aforesaid, but also, in part at least, from the fact that the stitch ingslast referred to also go through the felt pad 1 1, thus to localize lines of felt-compres- 5 sion subtended by grooves in the felt, opposite the trough bottoms, all as shown clearly in F igures1 and 3. i

At the far ends of said troughs, as the shoulder guard is viewed in Figure 1, eyewe lets are applied, certain of said eyelets being shown at 4 in Figures 1 and 2, through which lacing may pass to connect two similar shoulder guards together.

The ribs formed by oorrugating the leathl5 er sheets 11 and 12 as described, are filled a5 consist of relatively narrow strips of sponge rubber both to provide desirable resiliency or cushioning against impacts and for the sake of economy in manufacture by the utilization of these relatively narrow strips so which in some cases'may be scrap material cut from larger sheets utilized for other purposes.

. Referring to the main portion or section 5, the leather sheet '10 thereof, as most clearly =5 shown in Figure 3, has its major central part elevated above felt pad 1 1, said part being joined, to the margins through which stitchingsS and 9 are applied, by upstanding wall portions as shown at 10 in Figure 3. In the wide pocket thus provided by the leather sheet 10 andvthe felt pad, is fitted a sponge rubber filler 1.7.

As shown in Figure 2, the central portion of leather. sheet 10 has an off-shoulder inpositioned laterally of the chamber and anchored therein at opposite ends by means of rivets 20.

The epaulette section thus described eonsequently provides primarily a protective structure of ahighly eflicient character, due to the regularly din'iinishing resistance to deformation of its various components as one component lies below another, from the thick plate-like leather cap 18 to the bottom sponge rubber foundation 1S. Neverthe less, such leather cap is deformable to some extent, when required, as indicated by the dot and dash lines marked 18 in Figure 2; to coact with and supplement the action o l the rubber extension 18.

Referring now to the device 23. which may be defined as a shoulder joint protector, the same is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. This device fits over the joint between the upper arm and the shoulder and is shaped somewhat like the quarter of a hollow sphere. A suitably shaped pad 24 of felt is secured to a fairly stiff leather cap 26, shaped similarly to the felt pad but somewhat smaller, by the line of stitching, indicated at 27 in Figure 1, and applied to the marginal portions of the cap. Marginal portions of the felt pad may project beyond the cap all around the joint-protecting and shoulder-guard-positioning device 23.

In order to adapt said device 23 for action as described, the same is hingedly connected to the off-shoulder end of main portion of the new guard, by a leather hinge shown at 28 in Figure 2; and the device has suspended therefrom, as by means of short tapes 29, a strap or loop 30. The arm of the player is pushed through this loop in donning the new guard; the bight of the loop traversing the arm-pit of the player when the guard. is properly positioned on his body. The tapes 29 at their upper ends extend through slots in the leather cap 26 tegral extension of a shape such that the curved edge thereof conforms to and will be matched with the curved edge of the proand are suitably secured to such cap as by 1 In rivets 25. The portions of the tapes which jectingportion of a protective epaulette section 18 secured to shoulder saddle 5 by staples 19 and rivets 20, all as shown best in Figure 2. It will also beseen from said Figure 2 that the rubber filler. 17 likewise has an elf shoulder extension 17 sloped to havea curved edge to match with the curved edges of elements 10 and 18, thus further to constitute the epaulette section 18' an extremely efficient protective structure. In order further to increase the protective function of the epaulette section, the same in 0 eludes, as its uppermost sheet element, a

comparatively stiff or plate-like leather sheet 21. This sheet 21 is upwardly dished to have a-transversely as well as a longitudinally arched chamber for the accommodation of a resilient metal strip member 22 fall outwardly of said slots are entered in the opposite ends of strap 30, which is tubular and riveted as shown at 31 in Figure 1. The leather sheet or strip forming the hinge 2-8 is connected as shown in Figure 2, having one end tucked in between rubber sheet 17 and felt pad 14:, and stitched to said pad, and having its opposite end tucked in between leather cap 26 and felt pad 24;. and stitched in place as thus tucked.

Due to the fiexible character of the hinge 28, and the presence of the extension 18, the structure 23 is very freely adjustable, and self-adjustable, to adapt itself for a close fit about the outer end of the shoulder and the upper end of the arm, regardless of the anatomical peculiarities of different individuals and despite the relative stiffness of the epaulette section 18. See in this connection ill assesses the dot and dash line indicated at 23, and the broken line. indicated at 23* in Figure 2.

I claim:

1. In a shoulder guard, the combination of a main over-shoulder portion, and an offshoulder extension including a resilient cushion extended from the first mentioned portion, a substantially stiff but resilient cpaulette overlying such extension, and a shoulder cap underlying said extension and hingedly connected to the first-mentioned portion.

2. A shoulder guard comprising a top shoulder port-ion and breast and back flaps flexibly connected thereto, a layer of felt forming the outer-surface or base of all of said portions, horizontal parallel slightly spaced strips of sponge rubber overlying the felt layer in said breast and back flaps, a continuous sheet of sponge rubber overlying the felt in the top shoulder portion, and an outer covering of leather overlying the sponge rubber strips and sheet and having portions depressed between said strips and secured by stitching passing through the felt layer, said sponge rubber sheet having an integral outward extension overlying the shoulder joint, and a shoulder joint guard of cupped formation hingedly connected to said top shoulder portion substantially under the base of said extension so that the extension overlies and protects the joint between the upper shoulder portion and the shoulder joint guard.

3. A shoulder guard comprising a top shoulder portion and breast and back flaps flexibly connected thereto, a layer of felt forming the outer-surface or base of all of said portions, horizontal parallel slightly spaced strips of sponge rubberoverlying the felt layer in said breast and back flaps, a continuous sheet of sponge rubber overlying the felt in the top shoulder portion, an outer covering of leather overlying the sponge rubber strips and sheet and having portions depressed between said strips and secured by stitching passing through the felt layer, said sponge rubber sheet having an integral outward extension. overlying the shoulder joint, a shoulder joint guard of cupped formation hingedly connected to said top shoulder portion substantially under the base of said extension so that the extension overlies and protects the joint between the upper shoulder portion and the shoulder joint guard, and an upwardly convex leather cap of substantial stiffness overlying said extension and an adjacent part of said main shoulder portion.

4-. A shoulder guard comprising a top shoulder portion and breast and back flaps flexibly connected thereto, a layer of felt forming the outer-surface or base of all of said portions, horizontal parallel slightly spaced. strips of sponge rubber overlying the felt layer in said breast and back flaps, a continuous sheet of sponge rubber overlying the felt in the top shoulder portion, an outer covering of leather overlying the sponge rubber strips and sheet and having portions depressed between said strips and secured by stitching passing through the felt layer,

said sponge rubber sheet having an integral outward extension overlying the shoulder joint, a shoulder joint guard of capped formation hingedly connected to said top shoulder portion substantially under the base of said extension so that the extension overlies and protects the joint between the upper shoulder portion and the shoulder joint guard, and an upwardly convex leather cap of substantial stiffness overlying said extension and an adjacent part of said main shoulder portion, said cap having an internal arched steel spring reinforcement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT THOMAS LLlNS. 

